Turning Points
by Neleothesze
Summary: The people behind all that political intrigue... (abandoned)
1. Chapter I: Shifting of the Sands

**Chapter I: Shifting of the Sands**

Pagran Village, Fridas – 30th of Frostfall

'Nine-hundred and ninety-nine... one thousand. Sound on the first one!-Silence on the last one!'

Smiling widely, the child raised his eyes from the counting place. His look turned from joy to terror.

He didn't get to turn around.

Ein-Meirvale, Fridas – 9th of Frostfall

The Tavern was half-empty when the cloaked figure sneaked in, trying to avoid attention. It got as far as the first table before it was flanked by two rather young Khajiiti women. While they purred and whispered gentle invitations, curling their tails around him, a tall Bosmer girl, no more than twenty, reached out and grabbed the hand of the silent newcomer and quickly dragged him away.

'I wasn't sure you could make it, your grace.' she whispered as she led the way down a dark passage 'Please excuse the rude welcome, but not many people are as forgiving of your foreign policies as we are. In any case, Red-Talon assures me that you won't be disturbed for the duration of your stay.' she ended, opening a strong wooden door and revealing a fire-lit study.

The figure looked around, taking note of the rich tapestries and tall rows of books and scanning the room for hidden threats. It didn't impress through size and the massive grey stone could have been suffocating were it not for a few discreet touches which lightened the crypt-like atmosphere. It took him no more than a few seconds to form an impression and decide it was safe to talk.

'My dear girl, I'm sure I will feel right at home.' said the figure grinning and pulling away his hood.

'Oh, your lordship… But' Rebecca started, gaping at the appearance. She wanted to ask of the sudden change in plans but thought better of it at catching a glimpse of Lord Nedayn's all-knowing smirk.

'… I believe some changes in the bedroom design are in order. Please be so kind as to wait while I inform the agent in charge.'

'Aww, that won't be necessary, my dear. I don't plan on spending the night here. My servants and I are expected to arrive at the consulate later this evening. Her grace was, unfortunately, detained in court by the unexpected return of her dear husband.' he chuckled, before turning to the hearth and adding bitterly. 'Poor woman. My wife, on the other hand, is in the company of her highness, the Queen of Black Marsh,' Nedayn explained while choosing a seat near the marble fireplace 'but I suspect the true reason behind her sudden departure is the fact that her lover's wife is giving birth and she is most anxious to find out whether the newborn is a boy or a girl.' he ended smiling, tossing a log in the dying flames of the fire. His red eyes caught a glitter and for a second and Rebecca thought she saw sadness in them.

But the moment was lost. 'My bet is on a girl - another yellowish lizard. If only it resembled the mother and not the father. To be both ugly and stupid… they'd need another Meer-Mah.'

She stifled a laugh. 'I thought the King had hired the best diviners to find out these things before the child is due...' Rebecca asked before noticing Nedayn's theatrically composed face.

'What an outrageous comment! Did I imply my wife be the lover of the King of Black march!' he muttered, faking shock.

'I did not mean to… That is… I assumed…' answered the girl, blushing and backing away.

The sound of his roaring laughter resonated off the stone walls.

'Of course I did. Choosing a Nord concubine! The bastard deserves his ways made known. And so does my wife, but that's not why we are here now. Has Starsinger told you of our plans?'

'No, he hasn't.' said the girl, relaxing visibly. 'I had hoped for a briefing from her ladyship.'

'Well then, I believe we have quite a bit to talk about. Take a sit, my dear, and tell me, how do you feel about razing Dragon Wood?'

**Disclaimer: **Tamriel, its provinces and basically everything but the characters – which are mine, mine and mine alone muahaha ahem-, copyright Bethesda Softworks.


	2. Chapter II: His Lordship's Worst Fears

**Chapter II: His Lordship's Worst Fears**

Greenwall, Loredas – 24th of Frostfall

This was the first town to be emptied and from here on they'd have to move fast.

They had been marching steadily for the last nine days, avoiding Imperial cities as much as possible. A few smugglers however, had found a sudden end at the points of their daggers. Practice was essential, but while it was alright to stab some outlaws, none of them raided any villages or small towns. Their contractor hadn't paid a city's worth in gold for them to raise suspicions. And while nobody noticed a few bandits gone missing, the Dark Brotherhood and the Imperial guards did confront reports from time to time and would have surely picked up some unaccounted for deaths in their area.

No letters would come from this place however. Next morning, Greenwall would be a much quieter place.

Heimlyn Keep, Tirdas – 13th of Frostfall

It was the seventh mug of sujamma and the she was getting worried. The one-eyed, white-haired woman in front of her showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. When she was not looking over a letter for the millionth time, she was slowly sipping the strong drink as if it were water. Her companion did not put her mind at ease either. He had not spoken one word ever since he had handed the woman the letter, nor had he ordered anything or even looked around at the other customers.

She was walking back to the counter, after filling the woman's eighth mug of sujamma, when she heard him open his mouth for the first time. He spoke calmly, carefully choosing his words.

'Lady Severa expects me in Ein-Meirvale in a week's time. What is your answer, lady Myra?'

Taking another sip of her drink, the woman frowned.

'It's going to be tricky. I am only a quarter through the recipe and I would already be needing 5.000 septims' worth of ingredients.'

'That is not an issue.'

'Finding an apothecary who would gladly give them to me without any questions and instantly forgetting that he did, will be.' she answered back, showing her teeth in what was a perverse mockery of a smile. 'I will need a month.'

'You have a week and a half, and that's without taking into account the transport.'

It took her two more mugs and half an hour to answer. When she did, it was obvious that whatever counter-arguments she had previously formed in her mind, had been slowly dissolved by either logic or by the miraculous action of the sujamma.

'Tell her ladyship that I expect no less than 50.000 septims and a very long vacation somewhere warm.' she finished, shaking the messenger's hand and grinning wildly. 'And she gets to burn the recipe and consider my mind too old to remember where I put my shoes.'

Eagle Vale, Sundas 11th of Frostfall

'I wouldn't advise you, Riele, sister or no sister.' said the Bosmer, firing another arrow at practice target 300 feet away and missing by only a few inches. 'Your sister was raised by Imperials. Her ways and not our people's ways.'

'Our people's ways have changed, Naroth.' answered a long-haired girl, firing an enchanted arrow and sprinkling white frost around the bull's-eye. 'Besides, weren't you the one who said I should stop practicing on still targets?'

'I meant you should start hunting deer, my friend, not men.' grumbled Naroth turning and walking away.

Behind him, Riele watched the targets for a long time. The money was enough for a house in one of the big cities; enough to travel to Cyrodiil and get a chance to read the countless tomes in the Imperial Library. Bloodshed? Murder? Those were too abstract to be considered now. Hmm… a small house in the Imperial City, with flowers at the windowsills. Some purple flowers… something exotic. That wouldn't be murder… not even to a Bosmer - close enough to peak her interest but without the inescapable feeling of guilt. Hmm…Yes, it was worth answering her sister's call.

She smiled, safely locking her dream away, and went to the stables.

**Disclaimer: **Tamriel, its provinces and basically everything but the characters – which are mine, mine and mine alone muahaha ahem-, copyright Bethesda Softworks.


	3. Chapter III: How it Flies

**Chapter III: How it Flies**

Vernim Wood, Tirdas – 27th of Frostfall

Four of them were already dead. Two the night after the assault on Greenwall and two more this morning. The first two had apparently hanged themselves. But how two men with burnt eyes could have climbed a tree, hanged themselves and still keep an ecstatic look on their faces was still a mystery.

The last two murders had been even worse. Both men had been found floating in a nearby creek, stuck on some rocks, with the same ecstatic looks carved on their faces: no wounds, no bruises, no scratches only some pin-sized holes in their chests.

It would have dawned on even the dumbest criminal that it took a disturbed mind to imagine such a perverted expression of human joy and a cunning one, to eliminate four experienced assassins with deadly accuracy. You didn't survive in the field from not watching your back and the dead men had been the best money could buy.

So precautions had to be taken. Greenwall had been easy and they intended to see to it that Vernim Wood was no different.

Ein-Meirvale, Mondas - 19th of Frostfall

'Soluthis refused our request.' said Rebecca instead of a welcome.

'Silgrad Tower? Surely my mother wouldn't turn her back on me!'

'Your mother answered that unless we show proof of having completely destroyed Dragon Wood in two-week's time, she will not support you in front of the council. That leaves us no room for error or delays.'

He started pacing the room absorbed in deep thought, stopping in front of the fire to throw a log or pick up a burning coal, only to then resume his maddening walk. His face was no less grim after twenty or so minutes.

'The Lizard-King made their relationship public. That idiot, that mindless snail! A snake has more willpower. What does she see in him? I hope the assassins will take their time on her family!' he snarled, at no one in particular, before rushing out of the room.

Rebecca was left frowning and playing with a quill. It was a dangerous game, but someone had to tilt the balance. The odds were always against the lesser evil.

**Disclaimer: **Tamriel, its provinces and basically everything but the characters – which are mine, mine and mine alone muahaha ahem-, copyright Bethesda Softworks.


	4. Chapter IV: The Whens of Turning Points

**Chapter IV: The Whens of Turning Points**

Heimlyn Keep, Fridas – 16th of Frostfall

The crushed stones reflected light in strange ways, making the room shine as if enchanted. Two glittering piles had already taken up half a table but Myra worked tirelessly, crushing more and more every moment. Ambers and diamonds and strange red gems lay beside jasper, sapphires and opals.

The first few tries had been disastrous and while she enjoyed an alchemical challenge every once in a while she usually stayed away from ones with deadlines. Cursing Rebecca for getting her into another secret appointment which meant she could not take an apprentice, Myra stirred a purple potion until it turned black, before checking one of the stained pots and adding the newly brewed mixture.

How was she supposed to take care of three boiling pots, two alembics and four retorts and decipher the rest of the recipe at the same time? Grumbling, she turned her attention to the herbs spread out on the table in front of her. '_Bittergreen, chockeweed, blue lily, coda flower_… _nux've leaves?_ _Now how did those get here… I couldn't have been that drunk!' _She turned to toss them into a sack when a thought crossed her mind.

Smiling, she carefully placed them back on the table.

Pagran Village, Fridas – 30th of Frostfall

'Nine-hundred and ninety-nine... one thousand. Sound on the first one!-Silence on the last one!'

Smiling widely, the child raised his eyes from the counting place. His look turned from joy to terror.

He didn't get to turn around.

…

The arrow swished past his ear and dug deep into the assassin's chest. The spell didn't take long. The air crackled at the heavy discharge of magical energy and then the molecules resumed their place. The world was unchanged except for a human, fallen in a heap.

Stepping forward, Riele raised the little boy protectively in her arms, whispering reassuring nothings.

Miles away, in Ebonheart, her grace, the duchess, was sharing the bed with her husband, unaware that her lover's plan had been foiled. Trickling the amber Gold Kanet wine down her chest, the duke thought of telling her the news, but decided against it. There was so little intimacy between them these days, why ruin a precious moment? Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her neck gently, making a mental note of sending a beautiful bracelet to his dear Rebecca Severa for a job well-done.

In Ein-Meirvale, Rebecca led another cloaked figure towards a back-room, wishing she were no longer a double-agent. The pay was lousy and somehow, the war never ended.

**The End**

**Disclaimer: **Tamriel, its provinces and basically everything but the characters – which are mine, mine and mine alone muahaha ahem-, copyright Bethesda Softworks.

**Author's Note: **I loved writing this and I hope you had at least half that much fun reading it. Hugs to all and please review.


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